History Collection - Picture Frame

One Stolen Grape

James Hertle, Sr., was a ship’s carver at Williams’ Shipyard in Dartmouth. He was also a gifted folk artist. His “Black Figure In Dancing Position,” c. 1865, is held by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. This walnut picture frame is a much more personal piece. Hertle carved it after his youngest son died. The grape, snatched from the cluster at right and held in the bird’s beak, was used by Hertle to express that loss. Sadly, James Hertle would also die young at the age of 36.